Does the amount of blades on a broadhead mean anthing?

I shoot large, fixed blade BH's because I can too and, yes, they impact with my FP's out ot 50 yds. As far as drag goes, there may be a tad bit more friction but there is a bunch more momentum and that helps keep the arrow moving much more than any drag may try to slow it down. As far as forgiveness, my big, heavy fixed blade BH helps create a FOC that makes the arrow much more forgiving, in flight and when encountering bone, than a lighter arrow with a FOC less than 12%.

 

i tell you what i'll put my magnus stinger against any bh on the market as far as wound channel and killing effeciency and it'll hold its on against any of them.

 

It was a play on words Duke, you know, the whole falic thing.........

"It's all in how you use it... all in how you use it."

 

I know VS.. I got it.

For all the other gentlemen in this discussion... if what you say is true about your field point.. broadhead groups.. than man would NEVER have invented the mechanical head.

We don't call it field point accuracy for conversation purposes.

Less friction will always mean better accuracy.

 

That quote is completely false. Although I am not a fan of expandable's they have there place. Expandable's weren't originally meant for a head that didn't need tuning, it was an added benefit, however. They were made for a large cutting head that wouldn't have any planing issues.

There is absolutely no reason in the world for a bow that is properly tuned, has properply tuned arrows and heads, to not shoot broadheads with it's fieldpoints. It's just a matter of tuning everything.

 

Hear. Hear.

 

For any additional nay-sayers... Easton ST Epic 400's, 27.5'' 430grn's total. 270fps.

125gr FP vs. 125gr Thunderhead.... 50 Yards after TWO warm up shots. Better go get my Bitzenberger out

 

Excellent post.

Expandables have become the "fix" for a poorly tuned bow and arrow. If more folks would learn and understand how their weapon worked then they would not have to use an expandable BH to mask their weapon's inefficiencies and their lack of knowledge in how to correct them.

 

Right! I hear too many hunters talk about how they do not have to tune their bow as much!?!?! Makes me sick really.

 

WHERE EACTLY did you read in my post that I said by shooting mechanicals you did not need tuning??

I've read it over and over and never was that implied.

Planing is friction... that is what was said... you're arguing semantics... but I guess you should have already figured that out. Or not.

 

Yuu never did say it. You did it imply it, however, when you said that expandables would have never been invented if fixed heads would hit with FPs.

And to set the record straight, I NEVER said anything about you saying they didn't need tuning. I simply stated that with tuning a fixed BH will shoot right with and expandable any day.

Friction is irrelevant. Any arrow that is paper tuned and tuned with a broadhead will not plane, fixed or mechanical. Period. However, you can shoot a mechanical w/o paper tuning and still have the same POI as your FP.

 

In actuality, yes mech's were designed to need LESS tuning. They were designed to have flight characteristics that were similar to a field point, the cutting diameter was merely an added advantage. If you've shot many of the broadheads designed in the 70's and 80's you know what I'm talking about. Especially with the types of rests that were readily available during that time period. You said it best your self "[they were made for a head that wouldn't have planing issues]." Today we have the ability to adjust everything on our bows, that was not the case when mechanical heads were developed.

In a vacuum, yes your statement regarding broadhead/field point flight is correct. And for general hunting purposes if your bow is properly tuned, there shouldn't be a difference. But that doesn't mean there aren't different flight characteristics. There is some distance at which your field points and broadheads will have a different POI. The truth be told the majority of people are more capable of tuning their bows then they are actually shooting them well enough to tell the difference in flight characteristics.

Simple physics will tell you that the circle or sphere is the "perfect" shape. The further away from the center line of the arrow that your blades extend, the more drag and planing effects there will be. Period.

As for the discussion regarding 2, 3 or 4 blade heads... Less blades should fly better (less opportunity for drag). If you take the design of the head out of play (shooting a tuned setup) the mission that you're trying to get your broadhead to accomplish is what I would look at next. Am I shooting a bow producing high KE or maybe something less? More cutting surface = more tissue damage IF you're able to get to and through that tissue. If for instance GMMAT was shooting his long bow at a light draw weight, it wouldn't make sense for him to shoot a GrizzTrick because of the large cutting surface if it couldn't pass through enough tissue to do the damage. Vis versa, if Buckeye's Destroyer is producing more than enough KE to get through all the tissue then using a 2-blade Phantom wouldn't be taking advantage of his setup.

Simply... Cutting surface = tissue damage, tissue damage = blood loss, blood loss = expiration.

 

Right there my friend you have the BEST flying BH I've shot. And a BH that is very durable, and capable!!! I too like a 4 blade as the more cut certainly equals more damage. If it weren't a ST it could very well be a Muzzy MX4 on the tip of my arrows, but the ST's are considerably tougher in my eyes....

That being said, put ANY decent BH on the end of an arrow and put enough energy behind it to punch it through the chest of an animal and it SHOULD do the job.

The main reason I'd prefer 3 or 4 blades over 2 blades is the FLAPS they create vs. a slit that a 2 blade will create. The ST's have been very good to me, even on a marginal hit (completely the INDIAN's fault), I recovered the animal with a GOOD blood trail. I'm not 100% sure that with a 2 blade such as a Magnus, Rage, or Silverflame...I was gonna have the same wound channel as I do with a Slick Trick Magnum. But that's just my take on it.

 

Thanks for the post Dubbya. I do agree with you, and thanks for correcting me on what mech's. were originally designed for. Insert mouth here:D

I also agree with your statement is saying that most people can't tell the difference in flight characteristics. I do agree that broadheads and FP's will have a different POI after a certain distance. I do not belive, however, that this can be noticed in any realistic hunting distance with a decent shooting form.

I did several tests last year with shuttle t's, montecs, slicktricks, muzzy mx-4's, wac 'ems, and magnus stingers. All heads were shot from 20-80 yards, and all of them grouped with eachother consistently. I'm not sure about how far most of you guys are comfortable shooting, but I won't go past 50 on a calm elk or mule deer and 30 on a whitetail...given good conditions. These heads will cover that for me.

 

You would go 50 on a Muley but not a Whitetail?

 

Any Day. Whitetails in my area are far more liable to jump the string than a mule deer. Granted the 50 on muley would still need to be under perfect conditions. Good wind, unalert deer, standing still, etc.. If I had an unaware deer at 50 i'd still move closer though if possible. I feel fully confident in the my shooting abilites at that distance. I know my broadheads will perform there too as you can see in my above picture.

 

That is odd, most research indicates that deer are much less likely to jump the string at far distances versus shorter distances. In other words a Whitetail is more likely to jump at 20-30 yards than they would at 40-50.

 

They are, I couldn't agree the more with you. I'm not sure if it's the more distant sound, them feeling safer with a bigger buffer area, or what. But for me personally I just don't feel comfortably shooting that far on whitetail. Im pretty positive I could do it ethically, but just can't fully convince myself. Until im 100% positive it will happen, it won't.